Textile machinery cleaning apparatus



Aug. 23, 1966 P. F. MAGUIRE, JR.. ETAL TEXTILE MACHINERY CLEANING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26, 1965 INVENTOR.

. SOUSA F. MAGUIRE,

PHILIP ARTHUR MAGSON B LIONEL A. J

1m; 12 um ATTORNEY ETAL 3,267,970

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y R a E OE U N RNO R WUOS .0 km W I H A F A. p I RL Pm Om v LTN m O I HRm PAL h A I I I I I I I I I II IM HM WI IIIW IMI I I I III I I H I I I I I I I I I IM I W MIMI H I LMI I I I M H I HUN/ NW I I I I Iwk r I I I I I I I ll I I r ow 9L vw mmi mm mm P. F. MAGUIRE, JR.

TEXTILE MACHINERY CLEANING APPARATUS 8 W mm E 3 0v I I I H I I H I I HIHH I H I I I H I I I I I l 1 I I I I I I l I II I I II I I I H I H I I I I I Ill I H I P HA I I IL I II .I II I I I I I I I Aug. 23, 1966 Filed March 26, 1965 w I mm 00 Nm Aug. 23, 1966 P. F. MAGUIRE, JR.. ETAL ,2

TEXTILE MACHINERY CLEANING APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1965 5 sheets-sheet s FIG. 5

INVENTORS PHILIP F. MAGUIRE, JR. ARTHUR MAGSON FIG. 4

" BY LIONEL A. J. sou

m idaunt,-

ATTORNEY Aug. 23, 1966 P. F. MAGUIRE, JR. ETA!- 3,267,970

TEXTILE MACHINERY CLEANING APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. 23, 1966 P. F. MAGUIRE, JR.. ETAL 3,267,970

TEXTILE MACHINERY CLEANING APPARATUS I Filed March 26, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 r' 3,257,97fl Patented August 23, I966 3,267,970 TEXTILE MACHINERY CLEANING APPARATUS Philip F. Maguire, .lr., Providence, Arthur Magson, Cumberland, and Lionel A. J. Sousa, Coventry, KL, assignors to Grinnell Corporation, Providence, R.I., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 444,511 18 Claims. (ill. 139-1) This application is a continuation-in-part of application of Textile Machinery Cleaning Apparatus application Serial No. 239,923, filed November 26, 1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates generally to apparatus for clean ing textile machinery such as looms and the like by preventing lint generated by operation of the loom from being deposited thereon. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in lint collecting and removing apparatus disclosed in a prior application by increasing the capability and efliciency of that apparatus, and by improving the operation of certain components thereof.

In United States Patent 3,156,264 to Maguire et al., filed May 22, 1961, there is disclosed an apparatus and method for removing lint and fly from a textile machine, such as a loom. That apparatus comprises generally a wide, flexible endless belt mounted on a pair of spaced apart parallel rollers which are located beneath the warp strands at the back of the loom, one roller extending parallel to the heddles and adjacent thereto, and the other being the whip roll of the loom over which the warp strands pass and frictionally engage the belt to impart movement thereto, thereby moving the upper layer of the belt slowly toward the heddles. The upper and lower layers of the belt are depressed in the center by a weight roller which causes the center of the belt to clear the bottom of the drop wires, and the belt is wide enough to extend at least to the sides of the warp strands so that the upper portion of the belt forms an extensive lint collecting surface onto which lint from the warp strands falls during operation of the loom. The belt also acts as a shield or barrier against undesirable air currents which are developed from certain operating mechanisms of the loom, these air currents otherwise passing upwardly through the warp strands and depositing lint on surfaces either higher than the warp strands or adjacent to the loom.

In the prior apparatus the belt roller adjacent the heddles is mounted in a suction manifold having an opening presented generally upwardly and so positioned with respect to the roller that the latter cooperates to restrict the opening of the inlet to a very narrow slot. As a result a small rate of withdrawal of air from the manifold produces a relatively high velocity of air flow through the inlet slot, and the lint brought to this slot by the upper belt layer is drawn into the manifold with considerable force. In addition the lower belt layer moving away from the inlet slot passes over a cleaning scraper located on one side of the manifold opening with the result that any lint not drawn off by suction at the inlet slot is dislodged by the scraper While still in the presence of the suction and is drawn into the manifold. To assist the removal of lint from the belt, the portion of the belt which forms one side of the slot is a portion passing over the roller, resulting in a tendency for individual pieces of lint to break away from the belt surface and be carried off by the air moving through the inlet slot. In order to prevent lateral displacement of the belt as it passes over the roller, the belt is provided with a ridge outstanding from the exterior side which is guided by a groove formed in the lip of the manifold.

While the foregoing device generally worked quite satisfactorily under most operating conditions, certain deficiencies became apparent during testing under more adverse operating conditions.

It was noticed that in the foregoing device there was the unevenness of the air flow velocity over the length of the air inlet slot. This unevenness was caused by considerably more air being drawn into the manifold in the area of the outlet tube than at other locations along the length of the manifold with the result that less lint was removed f-rom the belt at locations remote from the outlet tube than is removed directly adjacent the outlet tube.

It was further discovered that if the belt Was placed under sufiicient tension to provide a good wiping action between the return run thereof and the wiping lip of the manifold, the resulting frictional drag on the belt was sufficient to stop its movement because of the limited driving force obtained from the warp strands on the belt as the latter passed over the whip roll.

Still another inadequacy noted in the prior device was the fact that the belt tended to shift laterally on the rollers in spite of the belt guide means unless the rollers were very nearly parallel when installed, were of precisely uniform diameter throughout their length, and the belt was very nearly tubular. If these variables were not held within close tolerances, the .ridge and groove belt guide was insufii-cient to resist the very substantial lateral shifting forces set up in the belt with the result that the belt would bunch or crumple up on the rollers and cease to operate.

The present invention is intended to overcome these and other shortcomings of the prior apparatus as well as to provide other advantages not theretofore contemplated. To this end, a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises generally a wide, flexible end-less belt similar in structure and shape to the belt of the prior apparatus. The belt is passed around parallel spaced apart rollers mounted beneath the warp strands and extends from a position. adjacent the warp roll to another position adjacent the heddles, and from one side of the drop wires to the other, substantially as described above. One of these rollers is mounted on the loom frame adjacent the whip roll; the other roller is received within the frame of an air manifold mounted on the loom, frame adjacent the heddles. The belt is depressed in the middle by a roller secured to the loom frame which causes the belt to clear the bottom of the drop wires.

The manifold, which is of substantially rectangular cross-section, has end plates which support the belt roller and also an idler roller which rests on the belt passing over the belt roller so that the idler roller is driven by frictional contact with the belt roller which in turn is driven through a gear and shaft drive train from the main drive shaft of the loom. The air manifold has a rear wall which extends slightly above the idler roller and lies very closely adjacent thereto so that the belt portion passing over the belt roller and the idler roller together cooperate with the rear wall and with an upstanding front wall to substantially close the otherwise upwardly opening top portion of the manifold as well as providing a scraping edge adapted to scrape the lower belt layer as it moves rearwardly of the loom toward the Whip roll. The manifold also has an outstanding troughshaped member located on the front wall thereof which has an upwardly extending lip which is also adapted to scrape the lower belt layer as the latter moves rearwardly of the loom toward the whip roll. Thus, lint not removed by the air passing through the manifold will be either loosened or removed by the upper edge of the rear wall and the lint loosened by the rear wall will finally be removed by the upwardly extending lip. The lip also serves to assist in closing the front portion of the manifold by cooperation with the belt.

The bottom wall of the manifold is apertured adjacent one end thereof to permit the entrance of air into the manifold as the result of a reduced pressure induced therein by a suction fan which withdraws the air from the manifold through a suitable discharge aperture in the bottom wall adjacent the other end thereof. Due to the positioning of the intake and exhaust openings and the substantial sealing of the remainder of the manifold, air is caused to flow longitudinally through the manifold at a relatively high and constant velocity. In prior devices in which air is admitted along the entire length of the manifold and Withdrawn at one end the air velocity varied considerably along the length of the manifold. Also in such prior devices the cross-sectional area through which the air is drawn is large and so these devices require considerable power to establish an air velocity high enough to be effective. Where the air velocity is insufficient lint soon sticks to the walls of the manifold and clogging quickly ensues. In the instant device however, the cross-section through which the air must flow is small and relatively little air is introduced along the flow path with the result that the air travels through the manifold at high velocity along the entire length of the manifold sweeping its walls as Well as the belt. Since there are no dead spots where the air flows at very low velocity clogging due to accumulated lint is virtually eliminated. Furthermore, it has been found that lint entering the manifold tends to be oriented in the direction of travel of the belt. The air flowing along the manifold, perpendicular to the direction of travel of the belt, moves at right angles to the oriented lint and is thus very effective in tearing lint loose from the belt.

A flexible hose is connected to the manifold at the discharge aperture which leads to a lint collection box mounted on the loom frame over the heddles. The lint collection box contains a bag for receiving lint withdrawn from the manifold, and also has a suitable support for the fan and motor.

To insure proper tracking of the belt. over the rollers, a plurality of crowned pulleys are fixedly mounted on a central driving shaft of the driving belt roller. These pulleys are engaged by a plurality of reinforcing tapes which are stitched or otherwise suitably secured to the inner surface of the belt so as to pass continuously over the crowned pulleys. The remainder of the belt roller shaft is covered with rotatably mounted cylindrical sleeves which are substantially equal in diameter to the minimum diameter of the crowned pulleys, so that the areas of the belt which lie beyond the edges of the tapes are under less tension than the portions overlying the tapes and are therefore supported by these cylindrical sleeves but not driven thereby. On the contrary, the frictional contact of the belt areas beyond the edges of the tapes tend to cause the belt to rotate the sleeves somewhat relative to the roller shaft. The result is that in effect only the narrow tapes are in driving contact with the driving roller and these tapes are maintained properly aligned by the crowned pulleys. The rest of the material forming the belt is drawn along by the tapes and the belt portions overlying the tapes, but since there is 'no driving relationship between the portions of the belt beyond the tapes, there is no tendency in these portions to misalign the belt over the driving roller.

From the foregoing description of a preferred embodiment, it will be seen that as the upper belt layer is moved toward the air manifold, lint which falls on the belt from the warp strands is carried toward the manifold and is deposited therein by the wringer action of the idler roller. The lint is then picked up by the air stream which is moving along the air manifold in a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the belt at a substantially uniform velocity, and is drawn into the discharge tube and deposited in the collection box.

Having thus described in general terms one embodiment of the invention, the following objects will be more readily appreciated, a principal object being the provisions of an apparatus for cleaning textile machinery which gathers falling lint from the textile machinery in the region where such lint is generated, and which moves the gathered lint to a collection station and deposits the lint therein with a positive mechanical action such that relatively large clumps are forced into the collection station with the same facility as individual fibers.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for cleaning textile machinery which has a relatively wide moving belt for receiving on a surface thereof lint which falls from the textile material being processed and which is moved by the belt to a collection station where the lint is forceably deposited in a stream of moving air and thereafter carried away by the air stream.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for cleaning textile machinery which has a relatively wide moving belt having an upwardly presented surface for receiving thereon lint which falls from the textile material being processed, and which is moved by the belt to an air manifold where the lint is forcibly deposited into a stream of air moving in a direction perpendicular to the directionof motion of the belt, the stream of air thereby traversing the entire width of the belt.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus for cleaning textile machinery which presents a relatively wide, lint receiving, endless belt to the lint generating area of the machinery and moves the lint so received into the longitudinal side of an air manifold which spans the width of the belt and has an air stream therein moving along the longitudinal axis of the manifold at substantially constant velocity.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for cleaning textile machinery which has a relatively wide, lint receiving, endless belt which is mounted on the textile machinery in position to receive lint generated by the machinery, and which moves the belt and the lint thereon laterally into an air manifold having an air stream moving longitudinally therethrough at relatively high velocity.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for cleaning textile machinery which has a relatively wide moving belt having an upwardly presented surface for receiving thereon lint which falls from the textile material being processed and which moves the belt and the lint thereon into an air manifold having its air intake opening adjacent one side of the belt and its exhaust opening adjacent the other side of the belt and adapted to draw relatively little air in the region of belt entry whereby substantially uniform longitudinal air velocity will exist in the air stream along the entire length of the manifold.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an aparatus for cleaning textile machinery which presents a relatively wide lint receiving endless belt to the area of lint generation of the machine and moves the line so received into the longitudinal side of an air manifold spanning the width of the belt and having air intake openings at its longitudinal ends and an air exhaust opening spaced therebetween, whereby a longitudinal flow of air with respect to the manifold is created between the intake and the exhaust openings.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus for cleaning textile machinery which has a relatively wide lint-receiving endless belt which is mounted on the textile machinery in position to receive lint generated by the machinery and which is supported by a pair of rollers one of which is in direct driving engagement with the operating mechanism of the textile machinery, thereby assuring positive belt movement.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for cleaning textile machinery which has a relatively wide lint-receiving endless belt positioned on a pair of rollers, one of which is supported by an air manifold, the apparatus having a third roller also supported on the air manifold and cooperating with the belt surface passing over the other roller to grip therebetween lint which is moved by the belt to the air manifold, whereby such lint is forced into the air manifold by the wringer action of the rollers.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for cleaning textile machinery which has a relatively wide lint-receiving belt which is mounted on a pair of rollers, one of which is supported by an air manifold, the apparatus having a third roller also supported on the air manifold in slots formed in the side walls of the air manifold which slots are directed toward the belt supporting roller so that the weight of the third roller supplies a biasing force to urge the latter into firm engagement with the belt portion passing over the belt-supporting roller, whereby the belt is pressed into firm driving engagement with this belt-supporting roller.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for cleaning textile machinery which has a relatively wide lint-receiving belt supported in one portion of the textile machinery by an air manifold which has at least one scraping edge thereon adapted to rub against the moving belt as the latter retreats away from the air manifold to remove from the belt any lint not removed by the air stream passing through the manifold.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus for cleaning a textile loom which has a relatively wide lint-receiving belt which is supported In one portion of the loom by an air manifold which has a scraping edge adapted to rub against the moving belt as the latter moves toward the whip roll of the loom, the scraping edge being swept on both longitudinal sides by an air stream moving longitudinally in the air manifold.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for cleaning textile machinery which has a relatively wide endless lint-receiving belt supported by spaced apart rollers one of which is a driving roller, and having means associated with the belt and the driving roller to maintain proper alignment of the belt as it passes over the rollers.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the several views to indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of part of a textile loom showing one embodiment of the present invention incorporated therewith, with portions of the loom omitted and other portions broken away for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the air manifold and belt drive roller associated therewith;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 2 with the approximate position of the upper and lower runs of the belt indicated;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but taken on the section line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary, perspective, partly sectional view of one embodiment of belt guide means of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a view like FIG. 4, but of another embodi- 6 ment of the invention with the approximate positions of the upper and lower runs of the belt indicated;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but of the embodiment of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is another view like FIG. 4, but of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is another view like FIG. 4, but of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective cut away view of the manifold of another embodiment of the invention with the belt, roller and drive mechanism removed.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a textile loom, generally indicated by the reference number 10, with which the present invention is concerned. The loom 10 comprises a warp roll 12 from which warp strands 14 unwind and pass over a whip roll 18. The warp strands 14 pass through drop wires 20 and thence to heddles 22 after which they are drawn to the lay side of the loom to be processed into finished material. Upper and lower layers 14a and 14b respectively of the warp strands between the drop wires 29 and the heddles 22 are continuously alternated by the heddles during loom operation. It is thus apparent that considerable quantities of lint will pe produced in the region of the loom extending from the whip roll 18 to the heddles 22. The invention now to be described is directed toward the collection and removal of this lint.

In one embodiment of the invention, a relatively wide endless belt 24 made of a substantially air impervious material forms a lint collection element which extends from a point substantially adjacent the whip roll 18 to a location adjacent the heddles 22, this location being considered a collection station. The belt 24 has upper and lower layers 24a and 241) respectively, the upper layer 24a presenting a surface toward the Warp strands 14 which is adapted to receive thereon lint falling from the Warp strands through the air space over the belt 24 as the warp strands pass.

The belt 24 is supported for movement by a pair of rollers 26 and 23, the rear-most roller 26 being rotatably mounted in a support 30 mounted on the loom frame adjacent the whip roll 18. The foremost roller 28, which is the driving roller for the belt 24, is mounted in the upper open portion of an air manifold 32, more fully described hereinafter, which is secured to the loom frame adjacent the heddles 22. A central portion of the belt 24 is depressed by an idler roller 34 suitably mounted on the loom frame so that the belt Will clear the bottom of the drop wires in their lowermost position. Thus the belt, extending from the whip roll 18 to the heddles 22, and from one side of the drop wires 20 to the other across the loom underlies substantially all of the are-a in which lint is generated in the rear portion of the loom.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the air manifold is seen to comprise an elongate substantially rectangular housing having rear and front walls 36 and 38, respectively, and end walls 40 and 42, respectively. A bottom Wall 44 closes the underside of manifold 32 thus presenting an upwardly opening trough-like structure. The bottom wall is apertured adjacent one end thereof as by openings 46 to permit the ingress of air, and a suitable discharge opening 48 with spout 50 is located adjacent the opposite end of the bottom wall 44 to permit withdrawal of air and lint from the manifold. A flexible hose 52 (FIG. 1) has one end attached to the spout 50 and the other end connected to the inlet opening of a vacuum collection box 54 secured by clamps 56 to the loom harness. Suitably mounted on the end of the collection box 54 remote from the air inlet is a motor and fan unit 58 which creates the air draft in the manifold 32 necessary to remove the lint from the belt 24 in the manner described hereinafter. More particularly the motor and fan unit is used as a suction pump by having the intake of the fan communicating with the interior of the collection box.

The upper opening of the manifold is substantially closed by a pair of rollers journalled in the end walls 49 and 42 of the manifold, one of these being the aforementioned drive roller 28 over which the belt 24 passes, the other being an idler roller 60. The drive roller 28 comprises a central shaft 62 which terminates at either end in a stub shaft 64 of reduced diameter, the stub shafts being supported for rotation in slots 65 formed in the end plates 40 and 42. On one end of the roller 28, the stub shaft 64 is connected through a pair of bevel gears 66 and 68 in a gear housing 70 to drive shaft 72 which in turn is connected through suitable gearing to the main drive shaft of the loom (not shown) so that operation of the loom will impart rotation to shaft 62.

Roller 28 further comprises a plurality of crowned pulleys 74 which are fixed to the shaft 62 for rotation therewith. The remainder of the shaft 62 is covered by a plurality of freely rotating sleeves 76 formed of wood, plastic or other suitable material. It should be noticed that the maximum diameter of the crowned pulleys 74 is larger than the diameter of the sleeves 76, the latter being approximately equal to the minimum diameter of the crowned pulleys.

The idler roller 60 is preferably a solid shaft having stub shafts 78 protruding from the ends of the shaft 60, the stub shafts 78 being received in slots 80 formed in the end plates 40 and 42. The idler roller 60 has a plurality of recessed portions 82 corresponding in number to the number of crowned pulleys 74 and having a depth slightly greater than the added thickness of the maximum diameter of the crowned pulleys over the diameter of the sleeves 76. By this arrangement, and for a purpose later described, the idler roller 60 is in contact with the belt driving roller 28 over substantially the entire length of both rollers.

It will be noticed, particularly from FIG. 4, that the slots 80 receiving the stub shafts 78 of the idler roller 60 are slanted toward the belt driving roller 28 near the bottom of the slot in order to urge the roller 60 toward the roller 28. Since the depth of the slot 80 is greater than the downward movement of roller 60 permitted by roller 28, the roller 60 presses against the roller 28 with substantially its full weight, thus effecting a frictional driving engagement between the two rollers.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, another form of the air manifold collection station 232 is illustrated therein, and comprises an elongate substantially rectangular housing having rear and front walls 236 and 238, respectively, and end walls 240 and 242, respectively.

The front wall 238 further comprises an upper portion 238a extending upwardly above the rear wall and sloping laterally toward the rear wall. A bottom wall 244 closes the underside, so that the manifold constitutes an upwardly and laterally opening trough-like structure. The side wall 242 is apertured adjacent the bottom wall 244, as by openings 246, to permit the ingress of air, and the bottom wall is provided with a suitable discharge opening 248 adjacent the opposite end wall 240 and having a spout 250 to permit withdrawal of air and lint from the manifold. A flexible hose like hose 52 in FIG. 1 has one end attached to the spout 250 and the other end connected to the inlet opening of a vacuum collection box like box 54 of FIG. 1.

The upper open portion of the manifold 232 is substantially closed by a pair of rollers mounted in the manifold end walls 240 and 242, one of these rollers being the aforementioned drive roller 28 over which the belt 24 passes, described in connection manifold 32 of FIGS. 1 to 6. It is supported by its stub shafts 64 in slots 265 and driven as previously described.

The other roller is the idler roller 26% which is a solid shaft having stub shafts 278 protruding from the ends and being received in the same slots 265 as the drive roller 28.

- In this manner the idler roller 266 not only substantially closes the upper open portion of the manifold, but also, by its weight, resting on the belt over the crown pulleys, maintains frictional contact between these pulleys and the belt thus insuring a driving relation between them.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 the upper wall portion 238a extends slightly above and is in contact, or almost in contact, with the idler roller 26!) thus completing the closure of the upper opening. This upper wall port-ion 238a is made flexible to permit installation of the rollers in slot 265 and to maintain contact with the idler roller after such installation. A modification of this upper portion is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, where the front manifold walls 338 and 438 are provided with pivoted flap extensions 338a and 438a running the lengths of the manifolds and extending, in each case, to roller 260, thus swingable out of the way to permit installation of the rollers and swingable back to provide a closure for the manifold.

Referring again to FIGS. 2 to 6, special provision is made for maintaining the belt 24 properly aligned as it travels around the supporting roller 28, that is for counteracting the tendency of the belt to shift laterally. Thus, it will be observed in FIG. 6 that the belt 24 has a plurality of reinforcing tapes 240, one for each crowned pulley 74, and stitched or otherwise suitably secured to the inner surface of the belt 24. These tapes are approximately equal in width to the length of the crowned pulleys and are located on the belt in posit-ion to ride over the pulleys and be driven thereby. Since the maximum diameter of the crowned pulleys is somewhat larger than the diameter of the sleeves 76, the tapes 240, as well as the belt portions overlying the tapes, are under greater tension than the adjacent belt portions which pass over the freely and independently rotatable cylindrical sleeves. The effect of this structure is that the belt 24 is positively driven by the roller 28 only in the area where the reinforcing tapes 24 are engaged by the crowned pulleys. The tapes 240 show very little tendency to creep laterally which is believed to be due to the relatively narrow width of the tapes in comparison to the distance between rollers, so that any lateral shifting which does tend to occur is easily corrected by the crowned pulleys. The tapes impart movement to the belt, the slack portions of which are supported by the sleeves 76. Because these sleeves are rotated easily and independently through frictional contact with the inner belt surface there is no drag on these slack belt portions.

In operation, the loom or other textile machinery on which the apparatus of this invention is installed generates lint which falls upon the surface of the belt and is carried thereby toward the air manifold. As the belt moves between the drive roller and idler roller, the individual strands or fibers of material which form the lint are mechanically inserted into the air stream moving longitudinally through the air manifold and thus perpendicular to the direction of belt movement. The lint is then conveyed by the air stream through the discharge opening and hose to the collection box.

Under certain operating conditions such as unusually high humidity or high starch content it is desirable to provide some mechanical means in addition to the moving air stream to remove lint which has not been stripped from the belt by the air stream in the manifold. This additional means may take the form of a scraping lip 37 (FIG. 6) which is in frictional contact with the bottom of the belt as it recedes from the manifold. While this lip removes a substantial portion of the lint with which it comes in contact, some of themore tenaciously clinging lint will continue to adhere to the belt. However, as the belt passes over the lip 37 the relative motion between the belt and the lip tends to draw the lint out and pull portions of the fibers away from the surface of the belt. To take advantage of this condition a second scraping lip 88 is provided which will finally remove the lint which was loosened by the first lip 37. In the embodiment shown particularly in 9 FIGS. and 6 the lint loosened by the first scraper lip 37 is caught and retained in the upwardly opening trough formed by the upper portion of wall 36, an outwardly projecting bottom wall 84 and an upwardly projecting wall 86, the upper edge of which forms the secondary scraping lip 88 previously mentioned.

When suificient lint has been collected to fill this trough, the lint so collected forms a felt-like wiper to further aid in the removal of any lint not carried away by the air stream. Occasionally this trough should be cleaned out, for example, when the warp beam 12 is replaced.

FIG. 9 illustrates a modified embodiment of the scraping lip assembly of FIGS. 5 and 6. In this embodiment the first scraping lip comprises the upper edge 390 of blade 388 located in the manifold, parallel to and spaced from wall 336. Edge 390 acts in the same manner as scraping lip 37 (FIG. 6), except that lint which is not removed by this edge will be subsequently removed by scraping lip 337 which is formed by the upper edge of wall 336 and is therefore still exposed to the moving air. Not only the lint loosened by edge 390, but also the lint removed by lip 337, falls into the manifold, rather than into a trough as in FIGS. 5 and 6, and is carried away by the air stream.

When the conditions are such that the lint does not have a strong tendency to adhere to the apron the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 may be used wherein a rear manifold wall 436 is provided with a portion 437 extending rearwardly from its upper edge. The area of contact between the manifold and the receding bottom run of the belt is greatly increased thereby reducing the contact load between the belt and the manifold and thus reducing wear on the belt.

FIG. 11' discloses another embodiment of the instant invention wherein the manifold 532 is provided with intake openings 546a and 54Gb in bottom wall 544 adjacent end wall 542 and 540 respectively and an exhaust opening 548 centrally located therebetween. In this case air drawn in at the intake openings creates a pair of air streams running longitudinally through the manifold and at 90 degrees to the direction of travel of the belt, as in the previous manifolds, but in opposite directions toward the exhaust opening.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that there has been provided a lint cleaning apparatus for textile machines which is believed to provide a solution to the problems, and to fulfill the objectives, hereinbefore set forth. It is to be understood, however, that the above description and accompanying drawings are to be deemed primarily as illustrative of the best modes presently contemplated of carrying out the principles of the invention, and the devices described and illustrated may be modified or altered in their form, proportions, detail of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the ap pended claims.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. For a textile loom which has parts including a warp beam, warp strands, drop wires, heddles, lay and a cloth roll, which has warp strands extending generally horizontally from said warp beam to said cloth roll, which generate from said Warp strands lint which moves about in the air spaces in the neighborhood of said Warp strands, apparatus for gathering said lint before it collects on the surfaces of the loom parts, said apparatus comprising:

(A) a first roller mounted on said loom:

(1) underneath said warp strands, (2) between said Warp beam and drop wires, (3) parallel to said warp beam, (B) a second roller mounted on said loom: (1) underneath said warp strands, (2) between said drop wires and heddles, (3) parallel to said first roller,

(C) an endless belt which:

(1) encircles both said rollers,

(2) has an upwardly presented surface,

(3) clears the bottom ends of said drop wires,

(D) an elongated manifold which:

(1) extends along said second roller,

(2) has walls forming with said second roller and the portion of the belt adjacent thereto a hollow chamber which:

(a) is substantially closed, (b) has between the second roller and one of the manifold walls an opening slot which: (i) is presented generally upwardly, (ii) is of substantially uniform width, (iii) is as long as the width of the belt, (c) has spaced apart intake and outlet openings,

(E) a third roller which:

(1) is journalled on said manifold,

(2) extends along said slot,

(3) engages both said second roller and said one manifold wall to substantially close said slot,

(4) rotates with said belt to wring lint thereon into said chamber,

(F) means for rotating one of said rollers to move said belt continuously around said first and second rollers,

(G) means for collecting lint,

(H) means for moving air:

(1) into said manifold intake,

(2) along said chamber,

(3) perpendicular to the path of movement of said belt,

(4) out of said manifold outlet,

(5) to said lint collecting means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said second roller is mounted on said loom by journals located on said manifold and in which said third roller is journalled on said manifold in guides extending generally toward said second roller whereby the weight of said third roller causes the third roller to press against the belt passing over the second roller and thereby provide a wringer action for lint on said belt to feed in into said chamber.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which said manifold further comprises end walls, said journals and said guides comprise a slot in each end wall, said second roller being journalled in the bottom of said slots in the end walls and said third roller being journalled in said slots in the end walls above said second roller, said one manifold wall comprising a lower fixed portion and an upper movable portion hingedly secured to said lower portion and lying closely adjacent to said third roller.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said manifold has at least one member presenting an upstanding scraper edge between said first and second rollers, in which said belt extends over and rubs against said edge as it moves away from said second roller toward said first roller, whereby said edge dislodges from said belt any lint which has not been removed by said moving air in said chamber.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said scraper edge member comprises one of said manifold walls.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said scraper edge member comprises a blade spaced from said manifold walls.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which said blade is mounted within said manifold and is parallel to said manifold walls to permit the air moving through said manifold to circulate freely about said blade.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 where said manifold walls include a forward, a rearward and a bottom wall, and wherein said blade is mounted in parallel and substantially spaced relation with respect to said forward, rearward and bottom walls.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein there isat least one other scraper edge member which is formed on said rearward wall of said manifold.

10. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said blade is mounted outside said manifold and spaced therefrom.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said blade is disposed in a generally vertical position and has a lower portion connected to a manifold wall to form therewith an upwardly opening trough outside said manifold.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the manifold wall to which said blade is connected presents an upstanding scraper edge generally parallel to said blade.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for moving air comprises a conduit connecting said manifold air outlet to said lint collecting means and further comprises an air blower having its intake connecting to said lint collecting means.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 in which said lint collecting means is mounted on said loom above the drop wires.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said second roller comprises a central shaft, a plurality of relatively short crowned pulleys fixedly mounted on said shaft in spaced apart relation thereon and a plurality of cylin- 25 drlcal sleeves rotatably mounted on said shaft between said pulleys, said sleeves having an outside diameter less than the maximum diameter of said crowned pulleys, said third roller resting on the portion of the belt which is engaging said second roller whereby said belt is in maximum frictional driving engagement with said second roller at said pulleys.

16. Apparatus according to claim- 15 in which said sleeves have an outside diameter substantially equal to the smallest diameter of the crowned surfaces'of said'pulleys.

17. Apparatus according to claim 15 in which said belt has secured to its pulley-engaging surface a plurality of endless flexible tapes each of which registers with one of said pulleys.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 in which said tapes have a width substantially equal to the width of said pulleys and have a thickness substantially the same as that of said belt.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,850,502 3/1932 Hilker 139--1 2,280,911 4/1942 Hodsdon et al. 19-107 2,400,792 5/ 1946 Turner 1391 2,744,295 5/1956 Spisak 57-56 X 2,984,263 5/ 1961 Loepsinger 1391 3,074,121 1/ 1963 Barr et al 19263 3,142,856 8/1964 Maguire 139-1 3,156,264 11/1964 Maguire et al 139-1 FOREIGN PATENTS 111,342 7/1964 Czechoslovakia. 1,198,217 6/1959 France.

907,493 10/ 1962 Great Britain.

5/ 1963 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

I. KEE CHI, Assistant Examiner. 

1. FOR A TEXTILE LOOM WHICH HAS PARTS INCLUDING A WARP BEAM, WARP STRANDS, DROP WIRES, HEDDLES, LAY AND CLOTH ROLL, WHICH HAS WARP STRANDS EXTENDING GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY FROM SAID WARP BEAM TO SAID CLOTH ROLL, WHICH GENERATE FROM SAID WARP STRANDS LINT WHICH MOVES ABOUT IN THE AIR SPACES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF SAID WARP STRANDS, APPARATUS FOR GATHERING SAID LINT BEFORE IT COLLECTS ON THE SURFACES OF THE LOOM PARTS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A FIRST ROLLER MOUNTED ON SAID LOOM: (1) UNDERNEATH SAID WARP STRANDS, (2) BETWEEN SAID WARP BEAM AND DROP WIRES, (3) PARALLEL TO SAID WARP BEAM, (B) A SECOND ROLLER MOUNTED ON SAID LOOM: (1) UNDERNEATH SAID WARP STRANDS, (2) BETWEEN SAID DROP WIRES AND HEDDLES, (3) PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST ROLLER, (C) AN ENDLESS BELT WHICH: (1) ENCIRCLES BOTH SAID ROLLERS, (2) HAS AN UPWARDLY PRESENTED SURFACE, (3) CLEARS THE BOTTOM ENDS OF SAID DROP WIRES, (D) AN ELONGATED MANIFOLD WHICH: (1) EXTENDS ALONG SAID SECOND ROLLER, (2) HAS WALLS FORMING WITH SAID SECOND ROLLER AND THE PORTION OF THE BELT ADJACENT THERETO A HOLLOW CHAMBER WHICH: (A) IS SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED, (B) HAS BETWEEN THE SECOND ROLLER AND ONE OF THE MANIFOLD WALLS AN OPENING SLOT WHICH: (I) IS PRESENTED GENERALLY UPWARDLY, (II) IS OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM WIDTH, (III) IS AS LONG AS THE WIDTH OF THE BELT, (C) HAS SPACED APART INTAKE AND OUTLET OPENINGS, (E) A THIRD ROLLER WHICH: (1) IS JOURNALLED ON SAID MANIFOLD, (2) EXTENDS ALONG SAID SLOT, (3) ENGAGES BOTH SAID SECOND ROLLER AND SAID ONE MANIFOLD WALL TO SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSE SAID SLOT, (4) ROTATES WITH SAID BELT TO WRING LINT THEREON INTO SAID CHAMBER, (F) MEANS FOR ROTATING ONE OF SAID ROLLERS TO MOVE SAID BELT CONTINUOUSLY AROUND SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROLLERS, (G) MEANS FOR COLLECTING LINT, (H) MEANS FOR MOVING AIR: (1) INTO SAID MANIFOLD INTAKE, (2) ALONG SAID CHAMBER, (3) PERPENDICULAR TO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID BELT, (4) OUT OF SAID MANIFOLD OUTLET, (5) TO SAID LINT COLLECTING MEANS. 